Gaze Into The Abyss
by Supernus
Summary: Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you -Friedrich Nietzsche. The dark and light in Sora's soul fight for dominance all according to the plan of an old foe. Post KH2. SoKai Lemon
1. Prologue

**Authors note: **For those of you who have read my other work, I thank you for your support. I regret to say that I will not be finishing my story Violence Is The Only Answer. It was a valuable writing experience, but through it and many things that have happened in my life since I stopped writing it, I have realized that it is simply not me. While it had some slightly dark undertones on the whole, it was a cheerful, hope-filled affair…and I cannot relate to that at all, let alone write it. And so dawned The Abyss. A project that would allow me to keep exploiting my love of writing, but would fulfill my need to expose the dark nature of life. That is not to say that this entire story will be violent and vicious. Darkness could not exist without the light. Rather, I will take this time to explore the duality of the world and the balance it so delicately hangs in. It is the Kingdom Hearts series seeming understanding of this concept that makes me love the games so much. I hope you will enjoy this as much as I will undoubtedly enjoy writing it. And, as always, the best way to get me to write is to review. As much as people seem to hate it when an author asks them to do so, it is honestly my biggest motivator. So, sit back and enjoy this foray into parts better left alone. Also I need a new editor as I'm sure will quickly become apparent so PM me if you want to volunteer.

P.S.

I would like to offer a special thanks to MavsGirl my old editor. Her life seems to have taken her beyond but she kept me writing for a lot longer than expected to be able to a few years back and was endlessly supportive. Wherever you are Mavs, I hope you're happy and that life has given you all the riches you deserve.

_**Battle not with monsters, lest ye become a monster, and if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.**_

Prologue

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

A bolt of lightning split through the night sky mirroring the twisted smile splitting the face of the eldritch witch as she sat within her tower. Twice the fools had believed her dead, and twice she had risen again. Many lesser beings would have been irritated by the constant inconvenience of death, and would have rushed mindlessly toward their vengeance, but not her. She was as patient as she was insidious and before long the twisted tree of her connivance would bare its fruit. Her tongue darted out licking her lips lasciviously in anticipation. The wait had been long and her trials had been many, but soon the time would be right. Focusing her terrible power, she quickly spoke the incantation she needed and an image began to take shape in the pool of water before her. The basin was filled with the tears of innocents, tears that she had harvested herself; slowly, lovingly, she had coaxed out what she needed from human vessel after human vessel and left the empty husks behind. The screams that had wrenched from their chests during what they knew would be their final moments were…delicious. She shivered in ecstasy as she remembered the harvest from one child in particular, but there was plenty of time to reminisce later. Right now she had a job to do.

Gazing down at the scrying bowl, she closely watched the image that had appeared. The boy was walking the beach hand in hand with his princess…good. The girl was serving her purpose as well, both of them so tangled in her web and utterly oblivious to it at the same time. The thought brought a smile to her lips. They were so sure of themselves, so foolish, so young. As their elder it was certainly her duty to educate them on the ways of the world lest some terrible harm come to them. The irony of the thought brought back the crooked smile. Waving her hand over the water, the view changed slightly, revealing to her the state of their souls. She screamed as a burst of light met with her unsuspecting eyes. That damned girl! She fought the rising rage, wrestling herself back under the control that would bring her victory. Every blade cut both ways and soon the light that had brought them victory would serve to be their downfall.

Obscuring the girl's image, she peered more closely at that of the boy. His soul was a warzone that she had never seen the likes of. One half raged against the other, a swirling mass of energy so powerful and wholly unique it was as beautiful as it was terrible. Her hand began to tremble. Soon, oh so soon, everything would set into place. Not only would she have her revenge, but the means with which to conquer all worlds as well. She began laughing, the harsh cackle as empty as the stone walls it echoed off of. The frightened whimper from the other end of the chamber brought her back to reality. Oh yes, her latest toy was still here waiting so patiently for her to return. She dipped a finger into the water and the image swirled, obscuring the scene it had held, spiky brown locks of hair the last to go. She crossed the room slowly, eager, but always patient.

With every step the whimpering grew louder, her excitement rising with the prisoner's desperation. She stopped within arm's reach of her quarry, reaching out to grip the terror-stricken face with her bony, pale fingers. She increased her grip until her dark nails began cutting into the flesh of the woman in her grasp. Blood trickled down and she relished in the feeling of it on her skin, the deep scarlet standing out harshly against her stark white flesh. The toy began making noises of desperation, but never spoke; it knew better than to say anything without first being asked a question. It was time to bring this little dance to its climax; a trained dog was a broken one, and a broken toy was just no fun at all.

"Would you like to go home, child?" she questioned the emaciated figure before her and the pitiful creature nodded eagerly. "Before I can release you, you have to please me," she spoke in clear dulcet tones, lulling her prey magically into complacence.

"How, mistress?" the shattered soul asked her, trying desperately to keep the hope out of her voice, but failing miserably.

"When I ask you to, simply say my name, and you may go free," the witch stated with a knowing smile.

"That's all?" the girl asked tentatively.

"That's all," the witch agreed, nodding once to drive the point home. "Are you ready?" The girl nodded, screwing her face into a mask of concentration.

"Good," the witch whispered drawing her left arm up, "then let us began. Say my name, my dear."

"Melific-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The end of the word cut off as the witch drove her left index finger into her victim's eye with a sickening squelch.

"Again!" the maniacal sorceress urged with desire.

"Ma-" the girl started but choked on a sob.

"Louder, dear," the witch prompted while licking the bloody ichor off her hand.

"Maliffff-FFFFFFFAAAAAAAGH!" the prisoner screamed once more as a knife flashed and three of her toes fell softly to the ground.

The game continued and the wicked mistress of the tower won every round. Once finished, she returned to her throne and motioned to her crow that she was finished. Idly she watched the carrion bird pick at what remained of her plaything. The wet tear of flesh reverberated in her mind and sung her into a sleeplike state.

"_Soon…" _she thought to herself before dozing off. The night sky and the loyal scavenger the only witnesses to the acts she had committed within her fortress. And neither was likely to speak.

-/\- /\- /\- /\- / \- /\- /\- /\- /\- Chapter End -/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\-

**Music Listened To while Writing this Chapter: **

Brothers by The Black Keys

And

Illuminaudio by Chiodos


	2. All's Well But Nothing's Ended

**Authors Note: **This chapter will cover what has happened in the year since the end of KH2. Sora and Kairi are a couple and Riku is of course still their brooding best friend. This chapter, sadly, will have neither violence nor dark undertones. It will be used to explain what the group has been up to since their return and serves as a background for the first act. Not as exciting but just as important as everything else. As always I love reviews as well as any ideas you may have or preferences on what you would like to see. I value constructive criticism, but I would ask you try not be too much of an asshole. Let's face it though…some people just can't help themselves. Still need an editor, but I'm writing this a whole half hour after I posted the prologue so that's to be expected. Read on faithful followers…read on.

_**Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one**_

_**-Albert Einstein**_

Chapter 2: All's Well But Nothing's Ended

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Sora's P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

I threw the last of my gear into my personal locker. Tonight was the advanced class and some of the students were getting a little too good. I winced as I twisted the wrong way and aggravated the spot where Tidus had struck me earlier. That was going to bruise, no doubt. Making a mental note to have Kairi rub some potion onto it later, I slammed the locker door closed and turned to take a look around the room. Glancing about, I ran through my mental checklist.

"_Showers off…check. All lockers closed? Check. Office Locked? Check. Practice weapons are put away. Looks good," _I thought, nodding in self satisfaction. "Now to just find Riku and-AGH!"

The object came flying at me out of nowhere. Instinctively the Keyblade was in my hand, cleaving the missile in half before I even had time to process what was happening. I threw my back to the lockers to protect my rear flank before stopping to observe the situation more closely. What I found was more disturbing than I had even imagined.

"You son of a bitch," I snarled accusingly at Riku, dismissing the Keyblade and stepping away from the lockers.

"Last time I try to do you a favor," Riku laughed, pointing toward my feet.

Looking down, I realized his 'weapon' was a fuzzy blue towel. I blushed so hard I was pretty sure my hair was turning red. I bent to pick up the now ruined pieces of cloth.

"Good to know you're still on your toes, though," the silver haired teen said, leaning casually against a wall. "When I saw Tidus land that rib shot on you earlier I started to worry you were losing your edge."

I knew he was trying to fluster me even more and I wasn't going to take the bait. I walked to the trash can in the corner and tossed the rags in. The cleaning crew would be coming through later tonight so it wasn't really necessary, but I was trying to buy myself some time to come up with a witty retort. Mission failed.

"It was a lucky shot," I replied, wincing at how whiny I sounded. Smooth, Sora, real smooth.

"You know I'm just givin' you a hard time, man. We've been training them coming up on two years now. Even Tidus can only suck for so long."

We shared a laugh at the joke, with me laughing more out of relief that he had dropped it than anything else. It was the end of the day and as usual I was exhausted physically and emotionally. Monday through Friday we worked in the dojo, training anyone willing to pay to learn how to defend themselves. Riku and I alternated teaching the advanced and remedial classes so that neither of us would be too overworked, but it was still hard. Business was good, though, and that's what was important. If there was one good thing about the end of the world, it was being able to capitalize on people's fear. Sometimes I felt a little bad about it, but deep down I knew that wasn't the reason we opened this place.

When we returned to Destiny Islands, we quickly realized that high school was a bust. Riku and I hadn't managed to get in any formal education in the better part of three years. It didn't bother us, really. We weren't stupid and in our eyes, we knew what was really important. Some kids want to grow up to become doctors or math teachers and that's fine for them. They need to know the different bones in the human body or that pi is 3.14, but there is nothing in anatomy about the best place to strike a shadow and nothing in math about the proper entry angle and velocity to sever a dusk's head. We were Keyblade masters and we knew it. The problem wasn't with us or our mentality; it was with our parents. They weren't exactly…"accepting of our life choice," let's say. So at eighteen, we had to figure out how to apply the skills we had at an actual paying job and World's End Dojo was born. We had bought the building using the last of our money left over from adventuring and fixed it up ourselves. It was one of my greatest accomplishments, you know—that and saving the universe. The sharp tap on the side of my head brought me back to reality.

"Jeez, man, you must be more exhausted than I thought," Riku said, peering at me as if I was likely to keel over dead at any moment. "Lucky for you I know the best medicine for any of your ailments. Let's get you home to Kairi."

The huge grin splitting my face must have been enough agreement for him because without further preamble we left the dojo, locking the door behind us. There was a strong ocean breeze coming in off the water, making an otherwise balmy night cool and comfortable. I picked up the pace a little bit, eager to see Kairi, Riku matching my pace without a word. He wasn't kidding when he said she was my cure-all. When Riku and I had opted to move out she had been upset. Our new apartment was on the opposite side of the island from her, but it wasn't much of a change at all. She was my girlfriend and the love of my life, so of course I took every opportunity to go over there and see her. It wasn't exactly a huge island. Besides, if I had to go more than eight hours without her touch, I started to get Kairi- deficient and the side effects were horrible. That's what made the announcement at her eighteenth birthday party so unbelievable.

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V. Flashback)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

"_It's beautiful," Kairi told her parents, holding up the pink cashmere cardigan. "Thank you both so much." As she embraced her parents, Sora and Riku stood towards the back of the yard sipping on a soda and watching the people milling around them._

"_Sora—man, your present is way better than that. Remind me again why you won't just give it to her now," Riku asked, clearly aggravated by his friend's timidity. Sora let out a sigh._

"_Listen, Riku, I know you mean well, but it's not that simple," the brunette hero told his friend, looking worn._

"_But why? Listen, man I'm not trying to be a dick here; I really just want to understand." With that, he shot is friend a pleading look._

"_I won't give her the present here because I know it's better," Sora stated clearly, trying to think of the best way to explain the situation. "Kairi's parents aren't…fond of me. They blame me for her getting kidnapped and for the initial destruction of the island."_

"_That's insane!" Riku yelled, quickly drawing and dismissing the attention of several nearby guests._

"_Riku, calm down or I'm not gonna finishing the story," Sora said, making a shushing motion with his hands. "Honestly, I get it," he continued once his best friend had relaxed. "It really was my fault she got kidnapped and as for the island getting destroyed…" Pausing momentarily, he shrugged. "It was a traumatic event. A lot of people just can't cope with the fact that there is really that much wanton violence and evil in the world. They need someone or something to blame, so they picked me. So add that to the fact that I didn't finish high school and they just think I'm not good enough for her."_

_Riku snorted. "Well, I'm inclined to agree with them there."_

"_You and me both," Sora replied, grinning and raising his can to toast Riku._

"_That doesn't explain why you won't give Kairi her present now," Riku probed after the two had finished laughing. _

"_Honestly, I would just rather not give them one more reason to hate me by showing them up at their daughter's birthday party," the Keyblade master stated._

"_That's rough stuff," Riku said, shaking his head. "Is it worth it, man?" Riku asked, taking on a more serious tone. _

"_Beyond a shadow of a doubt," Sora told him with a smile. "I would go through a lot worse than a couple of self righteous middle aged jerks for Kairi. Any day of the week."_

"_Well then go with my blessing," Riku told him in mock solemnity, 'anointing' his friends brow with root beer. The two laughed hysterically as Sora wiped the soda off his brow. When they finally regained their composure, they realized Kairi was getting ready to make an announcement._

"_Can I have everyone's attention please?" Her voice was surprisingly powerful for someone so small and the chatter quickly died down as everyone turned to face her. "I would like to thank everyone for coming out here to celebrate my eighteenth birthday with me. It's great to see all of you. It's a weird feeling officially being an 'adult.' I know I'm going to have to make a lot of important decisions soon." Here she paused for effect, gazing out across the crowd before locking eyes with Sora and giving him a mischievous wink. _

"_Oh no" the hero muttered. "This can't be good."_

"_What?" Riku asked._

"_Kairi winked at me," the Keyblade master replied, sounding fearful._

_Riku let out a low whistle. "This is not gonna end well."_

"_For my first official act as eighteen year old," Kairi continued, "I would like to announce that I will be moving out." There was not one un-dropped jaw in the assembly. "Mom— Dad—" the auburn haired beauty said, turning to face her parents. "You've been wonderful. Thank you for everything. I've learned a lot from both of you. But I can't accept the way you treat Sora when you think I'm not paying attention. I love you both and I will be back to visit soon." With a smile and a hug, she left behind her very shocked parents to find her very confused boyfriend._

"_Holy shit," Riku whispered under his breath "that girl is crazy." Sora nodded his agreement, still too lost to speak. "Come on," he said, gripping Sora's arm "We need to find Kairi and help her get out of here before her parents snap out of it or this is gonna get messy."_

_Sora let himself be dragged through the crowd still not sure what was happening. Riku stopped and looked over the heads of the other partygoers until he spotted Kairi's auburn locks. Adopting a murderous look, he began to part the crowd like he was Moses and they were his Red Sea. Finally reaching their target, Riku swept her into a hug._

"_Kairi, that was amazing!" Riku told his friend, setting her back on the ground and giving her a playful punch on the arm. "Why didn't you say anything to us before now?"_

"_I knew if anyone found out, either my parents or Sora would try to talk me out of it," she said, glowing with excitement and sheer joy. _

"_Speaking of Sora," Riku said jerking a thumb back at the baffled brunette behind him, "you think you can do something about that?"_

_Kairi walked up to her boyfriend and let out a small giggle when she saw the dumbstruck look on his face. "Wake up lazy bum," she said, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling his head down towards hers._

_Sora's world exploded when Kairi's lips met his. The kiss was eager and bold, clearly influenced by the confidence Kairi was feeling after her speech. The familiar feeling of her body pressed against his grounded him and he began to kiss her back. She smiled into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands slid down to her hips. She nibbled at his bottom lip, begging entrance, but they were cut short by a loud gagging noise coming from their side. _

"_Listen, I'm happy for you and everything, but there are children here," Riku gestured as a child ran by faking concern._

"_We should probably get moving anyway," Kairi said with a smile still plastered to her face. "I want to get out of here before my parents recover from the shock."_

"_Wait a second. Where are you gonna live, Kairi?" Sora asked her with concern._

"_With you of course!" she said with a grin. "My bags are already packed up in my room. Come on." She gave him a peck on the cheek and ran off into the house._

"_You are so wrapped," Riku said, smirking at him while rotating his index finger in the air as if he was 'wrapping' Sora around it._

"_Yes I am," Sora said, obviously proud of the fact, and ran off after his new roommate with Riku following close behind. _

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

The memory ended as the two walked into the parking lot of their apartment complex. Walking up one flight of stairs, they stopped at the third door.

"See you in an hour for dinner?" Sora asked as Riku turned to walk down to his own residence.

"Always," Riku said without turning, waving once over his back.

Sora pulled out his keys and began fumbling with the lock. The stupid key wouldn't turn unless you got it in just the right spot…there! Pushing the door open, he took his jacket off and tossed it on the back of a chair in the living room. Sora began to search for his girlfriend, following the heavenly scents coming from the kitchen. Walking through the doorway, he saw her standing there in her usual pink dress, stirring a pot on the stove. Quietly he walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, nestling his face in the crook of her neck.

"Hey baby," Kairi said, smiling. "How are you?"

"Fine now," Sora mumbled contentedly, giving her a kiss on the neck that made her spine tingle. "How was your day?"

"I sold a big order of Thalassa Shell necklaces today," she said, turning the heat on the stove down and turning in his arms to face him. "An old client of mine moved to the mainland and her favorite Thalassa bracelet became all the rage in suburbia. Now everyone in her social network just _has_ to have one," she said in her best housewife impression, rolling her eyes.

"Don't act like you're not excited," he said, happy for her success.

"You know I'm just joking…well…mostly. God forbid they ever find out how easy these things are to make," she laughed, tightening the hug. It was like she squeezed out all the bad parts of his day and Sora sighed, content in her arms once more.

"Oh I almost forgot," he said, pulling her out to arm's length reluctantly. "Riku will be over for dinner in an hour."

"So we have a whole hour to ourselves?" she asked him purposefully.

"Why ever do you ask, my dear?" Sora questioned her, knowing full well what she was getting at.

"Well," she started, spinning tantalizingly out of reach. "It's just that I got so hot in here slaving over this stove for you."

"Oh, really now?" Sora replied, playing along. "That does sound horrible."

She nodded in confirmation, pouting prettily. "So I was thinking, maybe you could come into the bedroom and help me pick something less…constricting."

Sora swallowed hard, trying very hard to even make it as far as the bedroom. Kairi saw the look in his eyes and gave a sultry smile, smiling up at him through her lashes. She began to walk back slowly, sliding the zipper on her dress down a little further with each step. Sora wanted to follow but the intensity of her gaze locked him in place. She disappeared around the corner and moments later her hand hovered back into view, clutching her dress and letting it drop to the floor. The hand disappeared twice more, each time coming back with another article of clothing. As the last piece of lace hit the ground, Sora snapped out of his trance. They only had fifty minutes left and he was still in the kitchen with all of his clothes on.

"Oh no!" He heard Kairi call out from their room. "I seem to have fallen onto the bed! I do hope there is a big strong Keyblade master nearby who can save me."

"_God, I love her," _he thought fiercely as he followed her around the corner and into bliss.

-/\- /\- /\- /\- / \- /\- /\- /\- /\- Chapter End -/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\-

**A/N: **Not an especially long chapter but plenty fun to write. As always reviews are appreciated. I intentionally left the chapter as un-graphic as possible. Kind of like the quiet before the storm. Expect things to get far more intense from here on out. In the next chapter parts of the plot will be revealed. I'm going to try to make Fridays my update days, but sometimes unforeseen circumstances to arise.

**A special thanks to ****Amymimi for agreeing to be my editor!** A trying task to be sure. Amymimi will be making the story more enjoyable for all of you, so on the off chance you become a big fan, be sure to send a thank you.

**Music Listened To While Writing This Chapter:**

The CD Screamworks: Love In Theory & Practice by H.I.M.

And

The CD A Lesson In Romantics by Mayday Parade 


	3. Dreams Are Wishes Your Heart Makes

**WARNING!**

**This version is largely unedited. It's been so long since I posted I didn't want to make you all wait longer. When I receive the edited version I will repost. So if you can't stand grammatical errors or typos you may want to wait.**

**Authors Note: **I talked a big game when I said I would update on Fridays, and it's still my plan, but sadly work was insane the last couple of weeks. One of the girls in the office got sick so I've been working her job and mine. On top of that the power went out so I had to start climbing the five story building by the stairs. Good cardio, but not a lot of fun. Most of this was written at work while I was supposed to be effectively covering her shift, but since I had no idea what I was doing and no one really expected me to I mostly got to sit there and look pretty. By way of apology this chapter is longer than the previous two by a solid amount and reveals quite a bit of plot. It's also pretty twisted so those of you with weak constitutions or strong morals…wait one hour after eating before reading. As always, sorry for the delay, but hey, let me know if it was worth the wait. The chapter title is a famous Disney line. I found the intentional irony hysterical.

Chapter 3: Dreams Are Wishes Your Heart Makes While Your Asleep

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

Riku slid his chair back from the table placing both hands on his slightly swollen stomach. "I'm stuffed," he proclaimed "Honestly Kai if I thought I could get away with it I just might kidnap you and chain you in my kitchen." "Um thanks Riku," Kairi giggled, unsure how to respond to her would-be abductor. Sora stopped shoving food down his throat long enough to level a glare at his Silver haired friend. "That Kairi is mine. Get your own." Riku raised his hands in surrender, edging away from the possessive boyfriend. Kairi rolled her eyes at the two boys. "Well if you both like the food so much, then why don't you come over and help me cleanup" she suggested. Riku's eyes went wide "You know Kairi I would love to but it's already past nine and I really have to go home and do some laundry." "Thanks for dinner" he called back as he dashed out the door.

"Looks like it's just you and me" Kairi said, looking pointedly at her brunette lover. Sora heaved a sigh, but promptly got up from the table and started clearing the table. He walked over to the sink with a heavy load of dishware and she stood on her toes to give him a peck on the cheek. "Does he even have a laundry machine?" Sora asked. Kairi stifled a laugh and replied "No." The couple quickly fell into an easy routine. One they had practiced many times over the months they had lived together. Kairi would wash and rinse the dishes, laying them aside so that Sora could dry them and then place them in the cupboard. They worked in a comfortable silence the only noise coming from the running water and clinking ceramic. Sora stood drying a plate and admiring his girlfriend from outside her vision.

She was absolutely gorgeous. It didn't matter that she was doing something as mundane as washing the dishes, she made it seem magical. She was a goddess, her beauty matched only by her kindness and understanding. More than once Sora had woken up with Kairi in his arms and wondered to himself what he did to deserve her. Secretly he suspected she was completely unaware of how amazing she was and he wanted it to stay that way. If Kairi ever figured it out than she might upgrade to boyfriend v2.0. He watched as she bumped a fork off the counter and bent to pick it up. All of his chaste thoughts went south along with his blood. It didn't matter how many times he saw her naked, or held her body flush against his, listening to her mewl softly for his touch. She still had an intoxicating effect on him. So far it hadn't subsided with time, and didn't show any signs of starting. He closed his eyes trying to regain composure.

"_Come on Sora, get it together. What's wrong with you?" _he thought, fiercely.

"_I was kind of wondering the same thing." _Sora's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't thought that.

"_Nope,"_ the voice confirmed _"it was all me."_

"_What the hell?" _Sora questioned.

"_Oh is it going to be twenty questions? I really hate that game. Let's make it three. I can care for that long." _The voice was snide and dripped malice. Sora swallowed over a lump in his throat. Having anything inside his head was bad, but something this full of hate was much worse.

"_What are you?" _Sora started.

"_Something from your past you tried desperately to forget," _the Keyblade master felt it smile in his mind _"but you don't have that kind of power over me."_

"_Where did you come from" _Sora silently hoped the second question would give him more to work with than the first.

"_I didn't come from anywhere," _the voice said mockingly _"I'm right where I always was."_

Sora lost his patience. _"Are you always so fucking cryptic?"_

"_Only when it pisses you off," _it smiled again _"it just feels so good I can't help myself. That's three questions. It's my turn now."_

"_I never said that –"_

"_Relax I'm only going to ask you one question" _the voice scraped across his brain like it was gravel being raked across the inside of his skull. It had the desired effect. The pain silenced Sora for the time being. _"Now," _it continued as if nothing had happened _"I can't help but notice what a great piece of ass you've managed to land yourself. Being up here isn't without its perks. I've got to watch you do all kinds of things to her and I have to say…" _it paused dramatically as Sora struggled to control his rising rage "_it was all surprisingly boring." _The Keyblade master fought to maintain his cool. He hoped that if he let the damn thing ask its question it would go away. _"So my question to you is; would you ever consider doing something more like this."_

The plate Sora had been holding crashed to the ground sending broken pieces skittering all over the floor. Kairi turned, startled by the noise, and panicked at the sight before her. Sora was standing in the middle of the kitchen, hands clutched to his head, mouth stuck open in a silent scream, and tears streaming down his face. He took a heavy step forward and teetered precariously, Kairi saw him start to tip and rushed forward to catch him before he hit the tile.

"Sora. Sora baby" she pleaded "what's wrong? Say something! I can't help you if I don't know what to do." Tears of her own fell now, running down her cheeks and off her chin, only to fall and mix with those of her love. She had no idea what was happening, but she had never seen him like this before, and it scared her. She dimly thought of calling Riku, but was too afraid that if she set him down to get the phone something horrible would happen. So she cradled him in her arms and rocked them back and forth, praying that he would be ok.

In his mind Sora was experiencing a personal hell. The voice had conjured images into his mind's eye. Things Sora had never even considered possible let alone considered doing. A thousand pictures flashed by in the space of a second, but somehow he saw them all, each one more terrible then the last. He tried to ignore them, to shut them out, but they were in his head, he couldn't just close his eyes. Every horror known to man was being inflicted on his auburn haired angel, and the worst part, was that every single time he was the one causing her harm. A river of tears flooded his features. He just stared as the images continued, resigned to his fate, and praying for its end at the same time. All the while the voice cackled in pure delight somewhere in the back of his head. Sora was nearing his breaking point. He didn't know how much more he could handle before he finally snapped, but then, as quickly as they had come, the images were gone.

"_Oh no Sora" _the voice whispered to him huskily _"I can't let you go insane. Not yet. I have such big plans for you. It would be a shame to see them go to waste." _And with that, Sora promptly fell unconscious.

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Sora's P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

Everything around me was black. No, that wasn't quite right. Everything around me showed a complete absence of light. I felt the panic rise up in me, but quickly quelled it, a lesson well learned over time. You don't survive long against a heartless if you give into your fear every time it rears its ugly head.

"_Ok Sora," I tried to calm myself "you've been in worse. You can figure this out, just think. Why is it so dark?" _The answer was painfully obvious. I opened my eyes and looked at my surroundings. Everything was blurry at first. My head felt like it had been ripped open with a pickaxe and stuffed full of cotton. There was plenty of time to be in pain later. Right now I needed to assess any possible danger. Slowly, I stretched each of my limbs to test them for injury. My head was still pounding, and I felt weak as a kitten, but other than that it looked like I was unharmed. I considered calling out to anyone who might be nearby, but I wanted my enemies to find me less then I wanted help.

I slid my hands over what felt like sand and placed them palm down on either side of me. With a grunt, and what I thought might be the last of my strength, I pushed myself up to my feet. My legs threatened to give out so I decided to enlist the help of a nearby palm tree until I caught my breath. Looking up, I forced my eyes to focus on what was around me. Sand, palm trees, water, great, I was on an island. That sure narrowed it down. Resisting the urge to feel sorry for myself I pushed off of the tree with a groan and started what was sure to be a long walk across the beach. At least I thought it was a beach. To my left side it was all sand, trees and rocks as far as the eye could see, with no discernable features. To my right it was a vast, calm sea…same story. I walked for what seemed like hours, but without any way to track my progress, I can't say for sure. After a while all the dunes look the same. I kept the water in sight in a vague attempt to keep myself from getting irrevocably lost. I was about ready to give up and try to make myself a shelter from palm leaves and bark fibers when a dot on the horizon caught my eye. That was no rock.

Despite my excitement I couldn't make myself go any faster. I just didn't have it in me. I wasn't sure what was ahead of me, aside from the fact that it was some kind of building, but whatever it was I prayed it had a bed and some food. As I approached the structure it began to take shape. It was a tower of some kind, gnarled and decrepit, it twisted toward the sky at angles that seemed impossible and seemed to suck in the light around it. It gave off such an aura of malice that it almost looked like the devil extending his middle finger from hell to give heaven one last "Fuck you!" The thought occurred to me that this wasn't really the refuge I was looking for, but it was all I had, so I kept moving forward.

When I finally reached the dark monolith I was near to collapsing, but a feeling of anxiety drew me towards the top. Something was happening up there, something bad. The old wooden door was cracked and looked like it would disintegrate at my touch, but it came open on squealing hinges without too much trouble. Inside I found exactly what I had feared…stairs. They stretched up, winding into the darkness above me. I didn't want to go up there, but I knew I needed to. I decided dignity could go to hell and got on my hands and knees. Chest heaving I continued my trek up into the towers lofty heights. As I climbed the steps the feeling of anxiety that was clawing at my heart grew stronger. After a point it was all I could focus on so I didn't notice when I reached the top of the steps. The palm of my hand met with empty air as I crested the staircase and I fell flat on my face. For a while it was all I could do not to pass out. My body had been begging me to stop and lay down for so long that it screamed in protest as I tried to climb back to my feet. I leaned against a wall breathing heavily, and swallowed hard, trying to regain the motivation to keep going. "Sora?" a voice questioned, weakly from the corner. I looked up and my blood ran cold. "Kairi?"

I couldn't believe what I was seeing; Kairi in the middle of this god forsaken desert, at the top of a spiraling tower, beaten to a bloody pulp. Her clothes were tatters, barely hanging on to her body, one of her eyes was swollen shut, her lip was split, and her body was covered in so many cuts and bruises I couldn't see any unmarked skin. I was frozen in shock. I stared into her eyes and she stared back, but something wasn't right. Those weren't the warm, ocean blue orbs that I had gazed into for hours back home. They were dead. Soulless. Like all the joy and hope had been removed from her body leaving her with nothing left to live for, but unable to die.

"Why did you do it Sora?" she asked me, her voice hoarse.

"Do what Kai?" I tried to sound calm but the words were raw with emotion.

"This." She gestured at her own body and my heart stopped.

"Kairi I didn't. I-I could never-" I stopped as a pair of yellow eyes and a sharp, toothy grin split the shadows.

"Oh, but you did Sora. Haven't you figured it out yet?" the creature chuckled as it stepped from the shadows "I'm a little disappointed."

"Roxas!" I shouted, confused.

The previously happy and mild tempered boy stood before me a literal shadow of his former self. The shape was the same but his entire body was cloaked in darkness. It smoked off of him, oozed from his pores, and permeated his being. The sight of two friends altered so horrifically was almost too much, I felt bile rising in my throat. "What happened?" I asked.

"You did." He stated it simply, like he was surprised that I didn't know. "Darkness exists inside of everyone Sora, well, except for the princess', but we can't all be so special." As he spoke he grabbed Kairi's face affectionately and gave it a soft shake. "The problem is; you refuse to accept it. Different people handle the darkness different ways. Some live their lives, oblivious to its existence, but affected by its taint, nonetheless. Others, like Riku, embrace it and channel it for their own causes. A slippery slope, but he always was the stronger of the two of you. And then there's you Sora. You have faced darkness more times than any person alive today. You know how to find it, how to stop it, how to kill it, what makes it tick, and how it takes its coffee." he smiled at his own joke, the pure white teeth a stark contrast to the endless black. "What you don't know, is how to accept it. You see you have refused the darkness, something you're not supposed to do. It goes against nature. Inside your soul the two try to mingle. In a normal person, the light greatly outweighs the dark, and when they mix, the darkness starts to dissipate. You, on the other hand, forced them apart. So afraid that the darkness would taint your light that you unwittingly let it grow unhindered, and ravenous inside you. I was inside you too of course, right in here." He illustrated on Kairi, pointing one finger playfully at her heart and using the other hand to cup her breast. She whimpered in fear and resignation and my blood boiled giving me new strength. I lunged at Roxas screaming for his death, but he extended a hand and I was stopped in midair.

"PAYAFUCKINGTENTION!" He screamed as eldritch tendrils coalesced out of the air at his command to bind me. He paused for a moment, sighing and running his hands down his sides, as if to straighten out a wrinkle in his clothes. "Now," he started, tapping a finger to his chin in thought "where was I?" He slapped his palm against his forehead in recognition "Of course! How silly of me to forget. So there I was, inside your heart, a war raging around me. As a Keyblade wielder I knew what was happening, could see what was to come, but I was powerless to stop it. In binding the darkness, you had also trapped me. I quickly realized that eventually the darkness would grow too large for you to handle, and would either take control of you, or be manipulated by someone else. So I did the only thing I could. I took it into myself. All of it" he growled, eyes flashing hatred.

"Why would you do that?" My voice was barely a whisper. I was so tired, so powerless to what was happening I could barely focus.

"For her" he stated, raising a finger to point at Kairi.

"For Kairi?" I questioned "Why?"

"Not her!" He seethed rushing forward and jamming the raised finger into Kairi's chest "Her!"

Realization hit me like a truck. Namine. He had done it all to keep Namine safe from me. From what I would become if he didn't stop it. My hatred towards him evaporated, turning into a fresh batch of tears. "This is all my fault" I sobbed.

"Yes" a voice cooed from a dark corner of the room. "Now you understand." The shadows in the room lifted and revealed Maleficent sitting on her throne, a look of pure ecstasy splayed across her features. "This is what I've been waiting for child" she said as she stepped down from her dais and walked towards the spot where I struggled feebly, suspended in the air. "This feeling of utter hopelessness. The despair rolling off of you in waves. The unbridled hatred of your own being. It's like the entire experience was hand crafted for my own enjoyment. Oh wait," she paused smiling at me lasciviously "it was." She walked behind Roxas, wrapping her arms lovingly around his chest and rubbing her cheek against his in affection. "You see, Riku was just the first in my line of Keyblade Master corruptions. Now I have dear, sweet Roxas, who has been like a son to me and…oh so much more." She ran a finger across Roxas' lip and shuddered in delight before walking back to Sora. "Now I would love to say that you are the next to receive the honor, I have always admired your seeming innocence and bedroom eyes, but I have bigger plans. I need you to go see our good friend King Mickey. There are a few questions I need to ask his royal highness."

"Why would you tell me that?" I asked the witch standing before me. I was trying in vain to shy away from her touch, but bound as I was it wasn't getting me far. So I grit my teeth and endured her wandering hands as I waited for an answer. "Because he is your only hope" she said matter-of-factly. "Because I know that even if you were willing to let yourself be consumed by the darkness to save the king, you would never risk letting that happen." She gestured at the corner where Roxas stalked around Kairi like a hungry lion. After a couple of rotations he lunged at her, knocking her to the ground as he ripped what remained of clothing away. Tears streamed down her face as his hands violently explored her battered body. Slowly he brought his face down to the crook of her neck stopping with his mouth inches above her skin. He turned his head to smile at me, before taking his exposed teeth and biting down on her neck, hard. Blood pooled out of the wound and around his teeth as he moaned in pleasure. She let out a scream that shattered the air in the room, but never fought against him. Maleficent stepped in front of me blocking the horrifying scene from view. "Time to wake up" she said with a smile and with that my eyes opened.

I shot up in bed staring straight into Kairi's tearstained and bewildered eyes. "We need to find the king."

-/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- Chapter End -/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\-

**A/N: **So there you have it. I kinda feel bad about all the horrible things I did to Kairi in this, but I find it necessary. True evil seeks to defile and corrupt that which you hold dear and in my eyes nothing is dearer to Sora then his princess. For those of you who are wondering or angry, Roxas is not the bad guy. Maleficent is. Think of him more as a casualty of war. Will he ever be saved? Only time will tell. When I was writing this chapter initially he wasn't going to be in it at all. I had intended to just use Sora's anti-form, but this seemed…better somehow. It's interesting to see his heroism rewarded by absolute corruption of his mind and soul. No good deed goes unpunished. As always, please review. It motivates/reminds me to keep going. And as always a thank you to my wonderful editor Amymimi.

**Music Listened to While Writing:**

**The CD Illuminaudio by The Chiodos**

**And**

**The Songs Cellar Doors and Not Good Enough For the Truth in Cliché by Escape the Fate**


	4. A Bird In The Hand Isn't Worth A Damn

**Authors Note:** This chapter is a long time coming. I would like to spout of some perfectly legitimate nonsense about being on holiday hiatus, or that it's not my fault I didn't have time since I left the country, got back, and then crossed it again, but I'm too honest with myself. Really with next to no reviews on the previous chapter I just kind of…forgot. I do that a lot. Now that I've remembered I'm supposed to be writing a story let's make it happen. For those of you who read the last chapter, and for those of you who read it and thought something to the tune of "Huh-wha!" rest assured that next to nothing will be explained in this one. Although, the plot will be moving along at a much more rapid pace, so take some solace in that. I have this horrible habit of writing these notes before the chapter is fully formed. The outline is in front of me. But one of the characters has yet to be decided. I think I've narrowed it down to about three options…no wait I take it back. One of them was already introduced in the Kingdom Hearts series as an irritating little fairy. This chapter will be far more about character development than anything else. Rome wasn't built in a day, but that's because the Roman's were weak. I'm going to conceive and write this chapter in its entirety in one day. Is comparing my writing to what was possibly the greatest city ever to exist a little cocky? Hell yes it is! But am I awake enough to care right now? Not a snowball's chance in Hell. I should warn you though: this story is rated M for a reason. Those of you who just thought it was because of the cursing, twisted imagery, dream rape, and general violence were sadly mistaken. It's about to start getting adult in the biblical sense. Or at least about halfway there. So maybe just the Old Testament? I'm rambling now. Let's just start the chapter for everyone's sake.

**P.S.A.N. (post script authors note):** As previously mentioned I tend to write the authors notes with only a vague idea of where the chapter is headed. Let's just say that this one went in a far more…adult direction then I had suspected. On the one hand this was totally unexpected, on the other I think it's a good sign for the chapter that the characters kind of came to life and wrote themselves…so…yay! So here's the deal kids **LEMON WARNING! **Never wrote one before so I warn you that it is happening and that it may be terrible. Hope you enjoy it *wink wink nudge nudge*

Chapter: 4 A Bird In The Hand Isn't Worth A Damn Thing If You're Not Hungry

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

"I need to warn him" the spiky-haired brunette muttered feverishly, rising from bed.

"Sora" Kairi whispered.

"He's in danger. Maleficent is capable of anything" he continued his rambling, pulling a suitcase out of the closet and beginning to pack his clothes.

"Sora" Kairi tried, a little more firmly, her tears beginning to dry now that she realized her boyfriend was alright and irritation took hold.

"That evil bitch" the Keyblade master spat. "After what she did to Roxas I can't make any guesses. She could be planning anything."

"Sora!" she finally screamed, crossing the room and grabbing him roughly by the shoulders. "I need you to talk to me" she pleaded, tears threatening to spill again. "What happened?" she had meant to put far more force behind that, but it came out as more of a plea then a demand. Sora stopped what he was doing and she watched as all the fight left his body. He turned to meet her gaze and her heart broke when she saw the sorrow behind his eyes.

"I'm, so sorry Kai" he whispered. He looked like he wanted to cry, but his tears were all used up. He fell back against the wall, sliding down until he sat with his arms over his knees. "I-I don't really want to talk about it" he started lamely. "But I guess that's not really an option huh?" he asked her and she slowly shook her head 'no' in response. He heaved a sigh and ran his hands through his hair, taking a moment to compose himself, before continuing on. "I could really use some water" he told her as he rose from his position on the floor. She fixed him with a look that was equal parts compassion and frustration. "Don't worry" he said, reading her mind. "It's just…my throats dry and-and it's a long story" he steadied himself with a deep breath "and Riku should be here too. I want to tell this tale as few times as possible."

She nodded her head slowly in understanding and gave into the urge to embrace him. He stiffened at first, seeming ill-at-ease, but eventually melted to her touch. She breathed in the scent of him, thanking every god she could think of that he was ok. "Don't ever do that to me again" she threatened with a sniffle. He reached for her cheek, but flinched and dropped the hand to her waist instead. "Promise" he whispered. The two of them stood there for a long time before Sora broke the embrace.

"Go get Riku" he told her "I'm gonna get that glass of water and try to collect my thoughts. Don't worry" he said silencing her protest before she could voice it "I'm not going to go anywhere. I'll be waiting for you both at the table. Scouts honor" he promised with a serious face that quickly broke into a goofy grin. "You were never a scout" she said, poking him in the ribs, but couldn't help a small smile of her own. Sora was back.

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Riku's P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

I was wearing my best tough guy face. A mask of absolute cold fury that has caused my enemies pause for thought on more than one occasion. I sat at the table listening as Sora told his story in fragments, tripping over his own words as his mind tried to reject the horrors he had seen, and he responded by forcing them into the light. It was a routine I knew all too well. His words painted a picture, but it wasn't him I saw in the dungeon I was viewing in mind's eye, it was me. I had been with Maleficent when she had done such things, even committed a few atrocities myself. It had all been worth it in the end, all of us sitting here now stood as a testament to that fact, but there are just some things you can't un-see. My guise of rage was as much for me as it was for Sora, clinging onto my hatred buried the fear. There was no time to be scared anymore. Riku the terrified little boy died a long time ago. It was time for Riku the man to step back up to the plate and do what was necessary to save his friends. Even if it meant I had to save them from themselves.

Sora was drawing in on himself. I watched as his posture became increasingly defensive, shoulders hunched, arms crossed, eyes downcast. He was worried what we would think, but more than anything he was afraid that he might have to go back to the terrible place. I was not going to let that happen. As hard as this was for Sora I knew Kairi couldn't be much better off. It was never in her nature to do anything halfway and it showed in the way she loved Sora with the whole of her being. They were so attuned that she was feeling what he was feeling, and it was plain to see on her face. She wanted to comfort him, to help, even in some small way, but every time she reached for her boyfriend he flinched and raised his defenses even higher. I really couldn't blame him. It's got to be hard to go from seeing your girlfriend tortured and dehumanized, to seeing her alive and well right in front of your face. The poor guy just couldn't describe the sadistic acts he had seen done to her and look at her at the same time.

It was too bad about Roxas really, but I couldn't waste time mourning the lost. He was a good guy, strong, and he will always have my thanks for saving Sora the way he did, but it was over now. I had seen people give into the darkness in varying degrees. Even been there myself. The darkness is like a huge pit at the edge of a cliff. At the bottom of the gorge is untold power, and the closer you get the more you can tap into, but if you tip over the edge and down to the bottom, part of you doesn't survive the fall. It's a dangerous dance, one I had done many times and always walked away from. I've gotten lucky too many times in my life and I worry someday the luck will run out.

I snapped out of my reverie as I realized Sora's story was winding down to a close. He seemed relieved to hear himself stop talking and knowing that the task was done gave him strength. A little of the color returned to his cheeks, he stopped shaking, and his stance relaxed. Silence reigned over the room for a solid minute as everyone absorbed what he had said. There was nothing I could say that would help so I didn't bother trying. Kairi obviously wanted to try, but he had shut her out so many times today it didn't look like she was willing to risk the rejection again.

"I uh-I think I'm gonna go lay down for a bit guys. That…whatever it was took a lot out of me" he tried a chuckle and a grin, but they seemed forced at best and the attempt ended nearly as soon as it had began. "I'll see you later" and with that he turned and left the room. Kairi raised an arm as if to stop him, words poised on the end of her tongue, but after a moment the arm dropped and she heaved a sigh of defeat. The key to being a good strategist, is knowing the key points of a battle. If you can identify what is most important and seize control of it then your victory is assured. Kairi was the key to battle waging in Sora's heart and I wasn't going to let her sit this out.

"Go to him" I said simply.

"He doesn't want me" she replied with a sigh and a frown. I couldn't help the sardonic laugh that passed my lips.

"You're kidding right? And here I thought you finally knew him better than me. Every action he's made since I got here is _screaming_ that he needs you. He is just too noble to let himself accept your help."

"Don't act like you know everything Riku!" she shouted, her sorrow quickly turning to anger. "I've tried to comfort him a thousand times since he woke up and every attempt fell flat. Do you know what it's like to watch the person you love suffer right in front of you and not be able to do a thing about it!"

"Yes" I answered simply. My eyes bored straight into hers and when she realized that she couldn't escape my gaze the fight fled her body. I heaved a sigh and broke eye contact, looking away to the wall on my left. "Do you understand what happened to him Kairi? Did you hear the things he was describing to us?"

"He had a nightmare. He saw things happen to me. Things he wants to forget. He couldn't stop it and I know that hurts him. I know that in his dream I blamed it all on him and that it must have shattered his heart, but it wasn't really me in there Riku. Why won't he see that?" It was her turn to stare at him. Her eyes were pleading for an answer, for guidance. This was the hard part. I couldn't give her the answer; her knowing what was happening and understanding were two completely different things. If I didn't lead her to find the answer herself then she wouldn't really grasp what was happening, and that wouldn't do her or Sora any good.

"No Kairi" I shook my head. "It was much worse than that. He experienced everything as if it had happened in this room. The thirst and dehydration wandering of through the sand. The confusion and fear of being lost in a strange place. The exhaustion from climbing the tower steps. The ringing in his ears from your terrified screams. The stab in his heart from the wounds on your body. The guilt from seeing what had happened to Roxas, and worst of all, the reality shaking assurance that if she gets a chance, she will do the same to all of us." I paused here for effect, letting my words sink in. "Do you understand?"

I watched her eyes widen in recognition and her lip start to tremble as the enormity of the events that had taken place finally struck her. Multiple emotions flashed across her face and I smiled as I saw that not a one of them was fear for her own safety. Her only concern was the well being of the man she loved. That was my queue.

"Go to him" I told her as I rose from the table. "And don't think that advice was free. You owe me for this big-time. I'm thinking a date with one of your hotter friends, or maybe whatever I want for dinner for a month." I stopped as I walked past her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you Riku" she said smiling up at me.

"Don't thank me yet" I told her with a grin "I am gonna make you pay this one back in full and I can be pretty demanding." She punched my playfully in the side.

"How about I hook you up with a _pair_ of my hot friends and let you make the grocery list this time?"

I let my eyes light up in only partially feigned wonder. "You, madam, are a true princess among thieves and scoundrels!"

"I told you not to call me that" she grumbled indignantly. "And that fake accent sucked."

I laughed openly as I left the apartment. "Take good care of him Kai" I told her as I walked through the kitchen and towards the door. "You know where I am if you need me." I closed the door behind me and stood on the balcony outside, looking out over the city. It was hard being the parent in the group sometimes. Especially when you're the least emotionally developed member of the party, but they had done the same for me in the past, and would do it again a hundred times over without batting an eyelash. That, I realized, was what I loved most about my friendship with Sora and Kairi. I knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they were always looking out for me and doing their best to help me in any capacity. So I planned on doing the same. I shoved my hands into my pockets and started to whistle a little diddy as I walked off into the night. I hoped that tonight wasn't the first time Kairi actually needed my help cheering up Sora, because I didn't plan on being where they could find me. There was work to be done. Work that only I could do.

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Third Person P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

Kairi walked slowly down the hall toward their bedroom. She could feel her apprehension rising, but she steeled her resolve and kept moving. The door was wide open and she stopped to lean against the frame, letting her eyes wander across the room. It was an eclectic mash-up of the couples different styles. There were posters up displaying various video game heroes and bands in dramatic poses and intense action which Kairi had incorporated into murals she had painted herself. On one wall a spiky haired hero with an enormous sword stood atop a hill, gazing out over a magical forest and towards the tower holding his beloved. It was strange…and somehow it worked perfectly. All of the grays and blues blending perfectly with her reds and pinks for an altogether impressive effect. It was her favorite room in their home and the only one that Sora had taken part in decorating. Another testament to how well the two worked together. She heaved a sigh and finally allowed herself to look at the bed, knowing he would be there.

Sora lay on his side, facing away from her and toward the window. She could see his side rise and fall steadily as he breathed deeply under the blankets. She watched the light filter through the glass and play across his shirtless shoulders, recalling other nights the two had spent together in the bed. He turned over suddenly, causing her to jump, and stared directly into her eyes.

"I thought you were asleep" she whispered, unable to keep his gaze.

"I can't" he replied "the bed is empty without you…everything is."

She could feel the smile start to play across her lips and then spread throughout her entire body. She lifted her head to find his gaze again and saw her happiness reflected on his face.

"I'm so sorry K-" she shook her head, cutting his apology short.

"Don't" she told him, in a tone that brooked no argument. "It's not your fault this happened. You shouldn't have to apologize to me because something horrible happened to you."

As she spoke she walked towards him, disrobing as she moved. Sora's eyes grew wide and his pulse grew faster as she neared. She came out to the Dojo at least once a week to exercise and it showed. Her body soft and supple in all of the right places, but lean and tight everywhere else. He gulped as she reached the side of the bed and slid in next to him under the covers. His arms reached out to pull her close, but she placed her hand against his chest, maintaining her distance. He gave her a questioning look and she held his eyes with her own.

"What you should apologize for" she spoke, her face hardening "is not trusting me enough to let me help you. We are a team Sora. If you can't trust me with your problems then this is never going to work. Do you have any Idea how scared I was? I thought you were dying! And then when you finally pull out of, whatever that was, you ignore me and start packing a bag! I should put you on the couch for a month!" she emphasized her last sentence by clenching her hand into a fist and beating it against his chest. She was breathing heavily from the physical and emotional exertion as his arms tightened again drawing her body against his. She fought him, but weakly.

"Yes. You should" he whispered in her ear.

"Then why are you still in here?" she asked him as her breath, became heavy for a different reason entirely. His skin was like fire against hers and his hands had started rubbing her back as he breathed softly against the nape of her neck.

"Because." He told her, kissing his way across her neck.

"Because…?" she asked him, not really caring about the answer. Damnit his hands felt good. He picked up on her disinterest in the conversation and brought his lips crashing against hers.

She arched her back and moaned, pressing her body even more tightly against his. His hands slid in opposite directions, one burying itself in her hair and the other gripping her butt tightly, helping her make sure that there was no space left between them. He broke the kiss to trail his lips down her chin line and across her chest, nibbling and sucking as he went. Her chest heaved with each breath as her heart hammered against her ribs like it was trying to escape. She moaned loudly as his mouth found the top of one of her breasts and she rolled them over so that she was on top, granting him better access to the task at hand. Sora took the hint and continued his progress until he hit an obstruction.

"You're not naked enough" he growled in frustration. She unclasped her bra throwing it as far away as she could and he dove back in, wrapping his mouth tightly around one nipple, lavishing it with his tongue. Kairi gripped the back of his head, urging him on as he brought one hand up to give the other soft mound the attention it deserved. He continued for a time before switching off, bringing both nipples to hardened peaks before nipping at them softly, eliciting growls of pleasure from his crimson haired lover. Sora decided it was his turn to take control and flipped her onto her back, pressing himself down against her, and crushing his lips against hers. Kairi relished in the feeling of his body covering hers and started moving in small, writhing waves, undulating beneath him, and driving him wild. He started taking his kisses lower, down her neck, over her breasts, and across her stomach, stopping at the waist of her only remaining garment and nibbling teasingly before hooking his thumbs into the fabric and pulling it swiftly down. A gasp tore from her lips as the cool air hit her molten core. Sora took the offending fabric and threw it to the same unknown location the rest of her clothes had gone. He stayed where he was and knelt before her licking her inner thighs and enjoying the sight before him. He continued his oral ministrations, circling in ever closer to her center, but just before he reached his goal she gripped his hair tightly and yanked him back up to her face.

"No" she commanded breathily "I need you now."

"I thought I was sleeping on the couch tonight?" he questioned with a cocky smile. She gripped his rigid member and stroked it urgently. He moaned and his eyes glazed over with lust.

"Just for that you are sleeping on the couch." she told him while ripping off his boxers "Just as soon as I'm done with you."

Sora supported himself on his forearms as he looked down at the beauty laid out before him. She was gorgeous, in every aspect of the word, and he was amazed that she was his. He had intended many more romantic thoughts and loving glances but at that moment she placed the tip of his cock at her willing entrance and dug her nails into his thighs, urging him forward. He complied feverishly, driving his hips forward at a calculated pace, slow enough to make sure she felt every inch of his considerable length, but fast enough that she didn't grow impatient. They moaned in unison as their hips met and he bottomed out inside of her. He stopped there, enjoying the feeling of being fully encased in the woman he loved. Her hot passage, convulsed around him, gripping his shaft and attempting to pull it still deeper into her body. She slid her arms up to his shoulders and began rocking her hips beneath him.

"More" she pleaded. It was the sexiest syllable he had ever heard and his body responded of its own accord. Drawing his hips back until only the head of his member remained inside her, he rammed forward with all of his strength, their bodies meeting in the middle with a wet slap. He set the pace fast and only increased it over time. Kairi began to whimper in pleasure, unable to control her reactions as he drove her to new heights. In a flurry of movement he leaned back onto his knees, grabbed a pillow and lifted her lower body, placing it under her hips. Kairi screamed in ecstasy as her orgasm hit her out of nowhere with all of the force an earthquake and half the warning. Somehow the new position allowed him to get even deeper inside her and it was all she could do to stay conscious as he pounded on relentlessly. The feelings wracking her body were so overwhelming she didn't know what to do. She clawed it his back and chest, pushing against him, trying to get him to stop his onslaught without being able to form the words around her own exclamations of joy. Sora got the hint and slowed the pace enough for her to recover; she fell from the peak of her ecstasy as quickly as she had reached it. He leaned over her body again, carefully distributing his weight so as not to crush her, and continued his thrusts at a languid pace. Kairi swallowed hard as her breathing evened out and a grin split her face. He was incredible. She removed her hands from where she had twisted them in the sheets and snaked her arms back up his body. She nibbled on his earlobe and felt him smile against her shoulder.

"Ready for more?" he asked her sounding confident, hopeful, and genuinely concerned at the same time. She knew he would stop now, unconcerned with his own release, if she asked him too. But that was the last thing she wanted from him right now.

"Come for me" she whispered fervently into his ear. He groaned in response his pace and pulse quickening together. "Please" she begged him "please come inside me." He lengthened his strokes, pulling out as far as he could before thrusting back inside of her, taking as much pleasure from their coupling as he could. She matched him stroke for stroke, rocking her hips up as his came down, pushing him in as far as he could go and rubbing her clit against his pelvis. The two became lost in each other, grunting and moaning uncontrollably as they sped up, nearing their end. Sora got there first crying out and grabbing her hips so tightly he left bruises, he gave three more rapid thrust before burying himself in her to the hilt and screaming her name. Kairi felt his cock twitch inside her as it shot thick ropes of come into her womb, sending her hurtling over the edge into her own blissful release. She leaned forward and bit down hard on his shoulder as the two clung to each other for dear life, riding out the waves of bliss that coursed through their bodies. Sora felt his energy leave him and angled his body so that he landed to her side as he collapsed from exhaustion. Kairi continued to writhe even after he slid out of her, milking her orgasm for everything it was worth, swathing her body in the pleasant sensations. Eventually the two lay side by side sweaty, spent, and the happiest they had been in days. Sora used the last of his energy to spoon her body against his and burrowed himself against her, breathing in her scent and letting his body relax.

"I love you" he told her.

"I love you too" she answered and he sighed contentedly.

"Feel better" he asked her.

"Yes" she smiled "but we are all gross now. We need a shower."

"Mhm" he mumbled sleepily against her back in agreement. She fought against his grasp trying to make her way towards the bathroom. He grumbled something incoherent and tightened his grip.

"Soraaaaaa" she pleaded with him "let me go."

"Rawr" he replied unhelpfully

"I will pee on you if you don't let me go" his arms shot back to his sides as though burned and she gave a small, triumphant cheer.

"That wasn't very lady-like" he grumbled at her in defeat. She jumped out of bed and stuck her tongue out at him.

"Oh really?" she asked accusingly "because it seemed to me that you were enjoying all my 'lady-like' features an awful lot a minute ago."

"You're gorgeous" he responded with a grin as she turned toward the door.

"I'm glad you think so" she told him with a sway of her hips as she walked out of the room and down the hall.

"You have 15 minutes to come back her and cuddle with me before I come find you!" he yelled after her.

"You mean you would have to get in the shower and discipline me?" she asked in mock fear "Oh no! That sounds sooooo great…um…I mean bad."

Sora lay in bed relishing in the feel of how great his life was at that exact moment. He heard the water of the shower come on and looked at the clock on the bedside table.

"Five minutes…" he muttered to himself "Close enough!" He threw the blankets back and ran down the hall after his girlfriend.

(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)(Riku's P.O.V.)(/)(\)(/)(\)(/)(\)

I took my 6th shot of shit whisky, grimacing as it burned all the way down the back of my throat, but smiling at the fuzzy feeling that had spread through my body. This needed to be done, but that didn't mean I had to enjoy it and I planned on being as numb for the process as possible. The trick was being drunk enough to lessen the pain, but still able to focus on what I was doing. Good thing I had plenty of practice. I half fell off the stool and started to walk away before remembering to drop some money on the bar. I tipped the bartender twice what I should have since the prick shorted my shots and refused to engage in anything even resembling a conversation, but I picked this place because I knew it was a hell hole. It was the kind of seedy, dark alley joint where no one asked questions because they didn't give a flying fuck what you were up to. I stumbled across the room bumping into a couple greasy patrons, mumbling some half assed apology even though they rarely noticed I was there in the first place.

I pushed the door to bathroom open and the smell hit me like a wall. I wrinkled my nose in disgust. _"Not as bad as a burning body at least"_ I conceded and then laughed hysterically at the morbid solace of the thought. I checked to make sure all of the stalls were empty before ripping the handle off of the door and conjuring fire on my hand. I super heated the sub-par steel until it melted across the side of the frame, welding the only entrance to the room shut. The water from the sink was like ice across my skin as I splashed it into my face, shocking myself into focus. I peered at my reflection in the mirror, locking the man before me into my mind's eye. I knew I needed to remember who I was if I was ever going to be him again.

Sighing I closed my eyes and searched for the darkness in the back of my mind, it didn't take long. The sneaky fuck pushed its way to the surface of my thoughts, always eager to be called on again. Hungry for another opportunity to corrupt my soul, an opportunity I was stupid enough to keep giving it. It danced around just beyond my reach, taunting me, trying to bring me to anger. _"The opposite of love is not hate" _I reminded myself _"It's apathy." _I struck out, locking the slippery mass in my grasp. I help it tightly, focusing my every thought on it, its strength, its endurance, its power. The dark slime oozed up my arm, coating my skin and seeping into my pores. It continued to travel across my body, over my chest, and down my legs, until every inch of me was lost in it. It whispered to me, told me I was trapped now, that it would suffocate me, squeeze until nothing was left, but I knew the truth. It was only here because I allowed it; I was the one in power, at least for now. I began to feed off of the shadow, absorbing it into my skin. It was an incredible sensation, one I had to be careful not to get lost in. One slip and I was done for. Images flashed behind my eyelids. Terrifying and empowering, visions, meant to lure and terrify in equal parts, but I shielded myself against the attack, deafening myself to its sirens call. Eventually the battle ended. I knew the war was far from over, but the brief respite was enough for now. I opened my eyes and gazed at the image now before me. The olive skin crinkled around the edges of a twisted smile, the yellow eyes gleaming with unrestrained joy at being set free once more. Ansem had returned.

-/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- Chapter End -/\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\- /\-

**A/N:** So yea…there's that. This chapter ended up much longer and more intense then I had ever guessed it would be. I really had next to no idea what I was going to write when I sat down and then all of that just kind of went down lol. I hope you enjoyed the twists as much as I enjoyed conjuring them from the depths of my wildly over-the-top mind. Don't worry about Riku, he won't be that way forever. Or even for very long probably, but it is very necessary for the things to come. I pull a lot from personal experience with Sora and Kairi's relationship so their dialogue is often times similar to conversations I have had with my own girlfriend…although I will say I'm usually Kairi in those talks . I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Let me know what you think. The more input I get the more motivated I am to continue on.

**Music Listened to While Writing:**

**The CD You're Awful, I Love You by Ludo**

**The CD Do You Feel by The Rocket Summer**

**The CD Two Tongues by Two Tongues**

Most notably the songs Love Me Dead by Ludo and Tremors by Two Tongues provided some pretty solid inspiration. It's pock rock love kids. My favorite kind.


End file.
